#you know at first i thought tegan wearing heels all the time was a classic 'no writer/costumer communication' problem.

[technovillain]

i saw somebody comment on how the classic who companions don't get to change outfits enough and i agree. i need to play dressup dolls with them STAT!!!

[harrythompsondeservedbetter]

Ghost of boyfriends past

John Paul McQueen made himself a promise when he came back into the village for his mothers' wedding no interacting with the exes. Full stop.End of discussion.The moment he spotted the invitation in the mail he deeply sighed and rolled his eyes. He’s lost count of how many times he’s seen Mercedes walk up the aisle or planning a wedding and as for his mum, he’s just counting down the hours before she breaks Sally’s heart.

It wasn’t until one night Craig who hadn’t broken his eyes away from the ceiling tells him he should.

“It’ll be a disaster” he snorts for a second “Mum will probably be wearing some tacky dress and want to walk down the aisle to Abba. Give me one good reason?” flicking through the papers exhaustively he gives up.

“She’s your mum. They both are” Craig’s eye’s cast themselves to the nightstand where a picture of him, Steph, Frankie, Jack and Darren are and he gets it. The ghosts of people they’ve lost hang in the air as a reminder to not waste time. So here he is walking around the village once again awaiting for whatever chaos unfolds.

Scott is the first of the exes he spots donning a platinum blonde wig slurping on a cocktail matching the colour of his long nails. Mercedes isn’t far behind him clinging to whatever part of Scott was closest.

“Oi, I didn’t let you borrow my heels for you to stretch them with your long legs Scoda”  Scott smirks extending his legs out with grace and poise. He almost chokes back on his drink when he spots John Paul for the first time.

“Hey, little brother guess who’s getting married again” deja vu hits the air with whatever booze Mercedes has inhaled. Later it’s the newest accessory to his shirt shoulder as she dribbles on it. Great.

The next ex to grace his face is, of course, his ex-husband who decided the best form of re interaction is running into him literally. Classic Ste always agitated and wanting to fight someone. John Paul decides to opt for pleasantry and gives his condolences about Tegan. Ste has a crazed look in his eyes when Tegan’s names uttered a wave of unquenchable anger that doesn’t leave for their entire interaction. It’s a moment of clarity for him. He doesn’t know Ste anymore or maybe he does too well either way when his group of mates whisk Ste away he doesn’t look back to his ex-husband.

Maybe it’s the years since he left and the maturity of a finally stable relationship that has him quietly laughing over the past hellfire of relationships. And perhaps that clarity has him knocking on James Nightingales door wanting back the bag of clothes he forgot years back. To his surprise, the door opens to a tall lanky boy who could probably model for top man appears agitated He really has a type he thinks before the boy stares him up and down.

“Need something?” his voice reeks of I don’t want to be here and do things something he is quite familiar with.

“Um is James in I need to talk to him?” 

For a moment the boy's eyes seem withdrawn and sad before he dons a new front of indifference.”No, he’s busy”.

A dejected sigh leaves his lips trust it for James Nightingale to continue to be a nuisance he just wants a couple sweaters.” You know when he’ll be back it’s just I’ve got a flight tomorrow...”

Laughing to himself the boy’s anger hits his voice “ Yeah sure I’ll just magically summon my father from his coma shall I? such an inconvenience that he can’t grace you with his presence “.

Wait?What? It takes a moment to collect himself then he looks over the features of the boys face he can see the resemblance and flair of dramatics. Definitely James Nightingales son.“Yeah, yeah secret love child in the flesh what do you need since you know since pops is incapacitated”

“I’m sort of your dad’s ex. I left some stuff here I’m John Paul ”

The boy looks to someone in the apartment for a minute making sure he can’t see in before saying “ stay there a minute” before promptly shutting the door in his face.

The door swings open again. Rubbing his baggy eyes and hugging a robe to his chest is none other than Harry Thompson. He’s seen Harry look frazzled many times especially when coursework was due but now staring at him he looked defeated.”Sorry about that. Romeo gets the socialising gene off of James” He hugs the robe closer to his chest closing his eyes for a minute trying to hold onto something.” I don’t think any of your stuff is here we’ve been sorting through a lot of things recently I asked Romeo to quickly ask Marnie though so you can sit in and wait a minute”

He looks around the apartment seeing the same light fitting and wallpaper around the room what catches his eye is the photo frames that were new Ellie on a beach, Marnie and Alfie in the corner and is that a picture of Harry kissing James cheek? It takes a moment in his head for things to add up.

“So you and James? How long have you guys been a thing?”

Stirring a coffee in one hand Harry freezes “ a while “ he slurps it slowly not really wanting to address him his fingers tapping on the mustard chair.

“It’s just strange I wouldn’t picture him and you together you don’t have much in common” 

“Our fiance's cheating on us with each other was a solid start”.Harry eyes him up smirking.

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be. Me and Ste were kidding ourselves. When it’s right it’s right””

John Paul knows he knew the moment Craig gave him the watch all those years ago or the moment last week when Craig was helping Matthew with his homework.

Romeo barges in a second later breaking the silence that washes over both of them.”Yeah so Marnie texted and says he torched your stuff in front of your mum”

He should have really known the man who threw his car down a cliff wouldn’t leave his sweaters untouched he quickly exchanges apologies before leaving to ask which mum bore witness to it. 

“Visiting hours start in a couple of minutes I thought maybe we could see him before Juliet comes home”.

Harry quickly gets up ready to go,

“Maybe clothes would be a good start”.